Hiram d



(No Model.)

' H. D. LAYMAN.

GAR GOUPLING.

Patented July 8, 1890.

A TTOBNE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

HIRAM D. LAYMAN, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAYMAN SAFETY CAR COUPLER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,775, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed October 17, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM D. LAYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an improved car-coupling, which is in a measure automatic in its operation, avoids the necessity of the brakeman going between the cars to either couple or uncouple, and may be used to couple to an ordinary draw-head or to receive the common link held in an ordinary draw-head.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and novel combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of one end of a car provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the link. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the latch. Fig. 6 is a detail View of the coupling-pin, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the shaft.

The draw-head A may be secured to the car in any suitable manner, and is provided in its outer end with the mortise or cavity B to receive the link of the meeting draw-head. Through the top wall of the draw-head I form an opening 0 for the latch D. This latch fits down in the opening 0, is pivoted at its rear end, and is provided at its upper end with a lateral flange E, which projects over the walls of opening 0 and forms a cap-like cover to prevent the passage of snow, rain, and the like into opening 0, and thence into the drawhead mortise. 011 its under side, at its forward end, I provide the latch with a rearwardly-facing hook or shoulder (1, arranged for engagement by the coupling-pin. In securing this latch I provide it, near its rear end,with a transverse slot or opening f, preferably slightly curved, as shown, through which projects a pin or rod F from the drawhead, such construction serving to secure the latch-block, so that it maybe lifted at its for- Serial No. 327,374. (No model.)

ward end to release the pin. In so lifting the latch-block it is given a slightly-rearward movement, as will be understood from Fig. 2.

This latch is raised .to release the couplingextension h, the latterbeing arranged in rear of the part h, and the part it being arranged for engagement by the latch-block when the pin is in coupled position. The pin H is pivoted within a groove 1', formed in the bottom of the draw-head, in which groove, at its front end, the pin h fits when the pin is in uncoupled position. \Vhen in such position, the portion h is in position to be engaged by an approaching link,- which will strike the part It and tilt the pin to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, when the part it will enter and secure the link, such part It being secured by the latch-block, as will be understood from Fig. 2, and so completing the coupling.

' In the bottom of the draw-head I form slots or ways J, in which fit the arms of the link K, such arms being provided with openings for the shaft G, one of such openings being provided at is with a key-seat. This key-seat is entered by the key g on the shaft, such construction serving to key the shaft to the arm of the link, so that the turning of the shaft may serve to elevate the outer end of the link when desired. This construction enables the use of the same shaft as a pivot for the coupling-pin and as a means of operating the link, and at the same time avoids the use of intervening mechanism between the shaft and link and permits the connection or keying of the shaft directlyto the link, as will be understood from the drawings.

Above the draw-head, in suitable brackets fixed to the end of the car, I journal the operating-shaft L, having its ends extended to the side of the car, provided at said ends with handle-like knobs I. At apoint over the latch-block I provide the shaft L with a crank M, and at a point over the arm g of shaft G, I provide the shaft L with an arm m. The shaft L rests normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, the crank M being connected by a taut chain N with the latch-block, and the arm m being connected by a slack chain n with the arm 9 of the shaft G.

The operation is as follows: If a link be held in the draw-head and it is desired to release it, the shaft M is turned slightly and will lift the latch-block and release the pin, which will then turn forward and release the link. If

Y it is desired to lift the link, the shaft M is turned still farther than is necessary to lift the latch, when the shaft G will be properly turned to lift the link, thus enabling the convenient elevation of the link connected with the draw-head and the releasing of alink held in said draw-headwithout requiring the brakeman to go between the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improved car-coupler herein described, comprising the draw-head, the coupling-pin having atrip-extension, the latch for securing such pin in coupled position, the link, the shaft keyed to the link, the operating-shaft, and connections between the same and the latch and the-link shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, the latch-block, the link, the shaft G, keyed to the link and having an arm g,

the shaft L, having a crank M and an arm m, a taut connection between crank M and the latch, andaslack connection between the arm m and the arm g, all substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the draw-head, the link, the shaft G, journaled in the draw-head and keyed to one arm of the link, and the coupling-pin journaled or pivoted on the said shaft G, substantially as set forth.

4. The improved car-coupling herein described, comprising the draw-head having mortise B and opening 0, the latch D, fitting in openingO, having hook or shoulder dand provided with flange E, the coupling-pin, the link, the shaft G, forming a journal for the coupling-pin and keyed to one arm of the link,

the shaft L, having crank M and arm m, the taut .of such slotwith an extension which fulcrums on the draw-head, and the bolt or pin passed through the slot f, substantially as set forth.

HIRAM D. LAYMAN.

WVitnesses:

P. B. TURPIN, SoLoN C. KEMON.. 

